On the afternoon of March 20, at the Presidential Palace, Politburo member and President Luong Cuong received former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam - Japan, Mr. Sugi Ryotaro.
According to VNA, I am very happy to meet for the first time the former Special Ambassador of Vietnam - Japan Sugi Ryotaro, a close friend of the Vietnamese people, and the President highly appreciated and respectfully thanked him for his tireless and positive contributions to the friendship between Vietnam and Japan over the past nearly 40 years.
The President affirmed that the successes in Vietnam-Japan relations today are thanks to the efforts and cultivation of generations of leaders of the two countries, including the great contributions of Mr. Sugi Ryotaro personally.
Mr. Sugi Ryotaro said that after nearly 40 years of being attached to Vietnam, he always has very special feelings for the country and people of Vietnam and always tries tirelessly to continue to nurture and strengthen the friendship between the two peoples.
Mr. Sugi Ryotaro informed the President about programs and projects to support Vietnamese people in mountainous areas, remote areas and areas facing many difficulties, including the project to build and repair the dormitory of a primary and secondary school in Yen Bai province with the hope that when completed, students will have a better learning environment. He also supported Nghia Lo General Hospital (Yen Bai) in free examination programs and screening tests for people in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for liver-related diseases.
The former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam - Japan also proposed the idea of establishing a children's orchestra for the disadvantaged in the market, Nguyen Dinh Chieu, a school that he has supported for the past 30 years because of his affection for children.
Appreciating the long-standing cultural traditions and unique landscapes of Vietnam, Mr. Sugi Ryotaro hopes to contribute to further promoting cultural and tourism exchanges between the two countries.
Expressing his impression of Mr. Sugi Ryotaro's affection and noble gestures in projects to support Vietnam in general and Vietnamese children in particular, the President affirmed that the Vietnamese state always supports and creates all favorable conditions for him to be able to implement charity programs and projects in Vietnam as well as turn his noble ideas into reality.
The President affirmed that many Vietnamese people, although not yet meeting him, have known and touched the noble gestures of former Special Ambassador of Vietnam - Japan Sugi Ryotaro.
The President highly appreciated Mr. Ryotaro's projects on protecting public health in remote areas, initiatives to promote Vietnamese tourism in Japan; expressed his emotion and appreciation for Mr. Sugi Ryotaro's kindness for humanitarian support activities in Vietnam.
Considering that the Vietnam-Japan friendship and cooperation relationship still has much room for development, the President hopes that in the coming time, Mr. Sugi Ryotaro will continue to devote much affection and effort to contributing to promoting the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Japan to develop substantially and effectively in all fields; at the same time, continue to contribute to expanding traditional and modern cultural exchange programs between Vietnam and Japan; promote the image of Japan in Vietnam, thereby deepening the understanding between the people of the two countries - an important foundation to bring the Vietnam-Japan relationship to new heights.
